Healthy Tillman OK with switching sides

As best as Charles Tillman can tell, the minicamp switch at cornerback of him and Zack Bowman is permanent.

If the move to the right side bothers Tillman, he didn't say. The fact is, the veteran is happy to be healthy after suffering four broken ribs and a punctured lung in Week 16, injuries that didn't fully heal until late March.

Add that injury — the result of a vicious collision with safety Craig Steltz while trying to tackle Vikings tight end Visanthe Shiancoe — to two shoulder surgeries and two back surgeries, and Tillman is lucky to have missed only six games over the last five seasons.

"I feel fortunate enough that my body seems to respond well with treatment, rehab, exercises, things like that," he said.

At 29, he has shown remarkable durability despite suffering some serious injuries, missing extended time only when a knee sprain cost him eight games in 2004. The move is significant when you consider 91 of his 94 career starts have been on the left side.

"Coach (Lovie) Smith just thinks it will be a better matchup for Zack and myself," Tillman said. "It gives our team the best chance of winning. As of now, I would probably say (it is permanent). But stuff is subject to change, and people go to different positions all of the time. It could change during the season."

Defensive backs coach Jon Hoke gave no indication it's a changing of the guard. Teams that rely heavily on zone defenses, such as the Bears, typically put their top corner on the left side. Perhaps the thinking is Bowman, who led the team with six interceptions in 2009, is ready to make a big step forward.

"We think (Tillman) is going to do a heck of a job over there," coordinator Rod Marinelli said. "We like both of our corners, so I think we'll be fine."

Tillman has been not only the team's best pass defender for a long stretch, but also its most reliable run defender in the secondary, totaling at least 83 tackles for five straight seasons. He missed the offseason workout program until arriving last Monday but said he'll attend organized team activities next month.

The ribs and lung injury that cost him a chance to be a Pro Bowl replacement was easily the worst Tillman has experienced. That says a lot for a guy with a history of shoulder dislocations.

"It felt like a burning sensation … and not being able to catch your breath," Tillman said. "When you get the wind knocked out of you, eventually it will come back. But with the collapsed (lung), it was nervous.